File Size: 320 MB
File Type: CSO
As a tried and true SEGA Genesis fanboy, I missed Tactics Ogre when it originally came out on the Super Nintendo. I also missed it because it was only released in Japan. Anyway, now that I've had some time with the rebuilt PSP version, I'm pretty glad I did, because I want to go into this thing fresh.
Why? Well, this turn-based strategy game is pulling in a Mass Effect-esque story -- I kid you not.
Still, I'm getting ahead of myself. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together isn't a remake, but rather a reimagining that remains pretty similar to Final Fantasy Tactics. From a three-fourths top-down, grid-based map, you play through a story of revenge and friendship. When your hometown is torched by some bad guys, you take your crew (starting with your character, your sister and your best friend) set out on a quest to find the evildoers and bring them to justice. Using turn-based mechanics, you battle as slick sprites with magic, melee and the other abilities and weapons you'd expect.
Why? Well, this turn-based strategy game is pulling in a Mass Effect-esque story -- I kid you not.
Still, I'm getting ahead of myself. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together isn't a remake, but rather a reimagining that remains pretty similar to Final Fantasy Tactics. From a three-fourths top-down, grid-based map, you play through a story of revenge and friendship. When your hometown is torched by some bad guys, you take your crew (starting with your character, your sister and your best friend) set out on a quest to find the evildoers and bring them to justice. Using turn-based mechanics, you battle as slick sprites with magic, melee and the other abilities and weapons you'd expect.
That's all standard in a way -- sure, there are improvements like faster AI turns so the game moves quickly and your ability to grab loot right away or leave it on the battlefield to gather at the end of the fight -- but what gets me jazzed up is the choice in this title.
When you begin, you're kicked into character creation, but it's really a tarot card reading. You're dealt cards and asked questions about what you'd do if your friend's girlfriend came on to you and other moral dilemmas. Those responses influence how your character is crafted and how they're viewed in the world.
With a character created, it's up to you to decide how you interact with others. Like the richly detailed story/choice system in BioWare's Mass Effect, Tactics Ogre gives you the keys to defining your world and living in it. When NPCs talk to you, you pick your response and live with what that means down the road. The responses aren't one-for-one, so if you pick the mean option, you're going to be surprised in a way to see how you put the other character down. There are three warring factions in this game, so pissing one off while being buddy-buddy with the other two is really going to influence what goes on.
Tinkering and playing around with the world and its relationships appears to be what Tactics Ogre is all about. Relationships can be made and destroyed, and characters you love or loathe can be killed on the battlefield. You're encouraged to try things out and see where the chips fall.
Now, hold up: risking relationships and watching people you like die doesn't exactly inspire a "go ahead and tinker around" attitude. The decisions you are making are serious -- weighted. This is where the Wheel of Fortune comes in. Yes, laugh it up as it shares its name with Pat Sajak's game show, but the Wheel is actually rather cool. Using it, you can rewind the game -- either 50 total turns in a battle or to anchor points in the game. If you make a choice that turns out crappy in the end, rewind to the anchor point before it and play from there. If your best bud croaks in a warzone, rewind and get him out of there, but note that it's 50 total turns. If there are 30 folks on the screen and you let them all go through the motions, that's 30 turns right there.
When you begin, you're kicked into character creation, but it's really a tarot card reading. You're dealt cards and asked questions about what you'd do if your friend's girlfriend came on to you and other moral dilemmas. Those responses influence how your character is crafted and how they're viewed in the world.
With a character created, it's up to you to decide how you interact with others. Like the richly detailed story/choice system in BioWare's Mass Effect, Tactics Ogre gives you the keys to defining your world and living in it. When NPCs talk to you, you pick your response and live with what that means down the road. The responses aren't one-for-one, so if you pick the mean option, you're going to be surprised in a way to see how you put the other character down. There are three warring factions in this game, so pissing one off while being buddy-buddy with the other two is really going to influence what goes on.
Tinkering and playing around with the world and its relationships appears to be what Tactics Ogre is all about. Relationships can be made and destroyed, and characters you love or loathe can be killed on the battlefield. You're encouraged to try things out and see where the chips fall.
Now, hold up: risking relationships and watching people you like die doesn't exactly inspire a "go ahead and tinker around" attitude. The decisions you are making are serious -- weighted. This is where the Wheel of Fortune comes in. Yes, laugh it up as it shares its name with Pat Sajak's game show, but the Wheel is actually rather cool. Using it, you can rewind the game -- either 50 total turns in a battle or to anchor points in the game. If you make a choice that turns out crappy in the end, rewind to the anchor point before it and play from there. If your best bud croaks in a warzone, rewind and get him out of there, but note that it's 50 total turns. If there are 30 folks on the screen and you let them all go through the motions, that's 30 turns right there.
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